By Vinnie Apicella

"Live from Hollywood the original L.A.GUNS!" Following up on last year's "Greatest Hits & Black Beauties" that presented the band's past work in full modern attire, Deadline now brings you the original and best of the former Hollywood vampires for one disturbing night of decadence, drunkenness and sin! Captured live for the first time, all five original members show they still got what it takes to electrify a crowd as they fire off round after round of their classic hits from the filthy Phil Lewis era. The band, who've gone through innumerable identity crises since Lewis's departure after '94's brilliant "Vicious Circle" punish listeners full on with "Face Down", "Sex Action" and early favorite "One More Reason" straight from the onset! The funky "Kiss my Love Goodbye" follows next from the gimmicky disappointment "Hollywood Vampires" before roaring back with "The Bitch…", "Long Time Dead" and the soundtrack hit to '91's Swayze flick "Point Break", and "Over the Edge"! The band seemed to make one mistake after their first two records and all the building momentum they gained early on faded quickly into a downward spiral they'd never recover from. Even after the surging attempt to tap the vein of hard-core after the fact, L.A. Guns would only be judged on what they did in the past… their future was laid out for them and it looked pretty vacant. "A Night on the Strip" represents the band at their peak with all the parts in place and working very effectively once again in a versatile display that sees the likes of "Electric Gypsy" light the fire while letting it smolder radiantly into their best known hit, "Ballad of Jayne". And have we figured out what did exactly happen to her yet? L.A. Guns "Live!" is a crude example of rock and roll excess channeled to the place it belongs…on the stage!

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